We All Fall Down
by Araven14
Summary: A series of Yullen oneshots, some continued from TMT. Kanda gets a bit more than he bargained for when he looks in the mirror one morning.
1. Once

**Well, the feedback I got from the reviews for TMT was incredibly supportive and positive, so thanks for that, those of you who did read and review. For those of you who didn't, you may want to go and read those oneshots first, though I suppose that this will probably make sense on its own. Anyway, since there seemed to be quite a few people eager to see more from the 'Yearn' universe (and because it was the first prompt) I decided to start there. This is how I envisioned Allen (or, in this case, Ailen) seeing Kanda for the first time. Have fun reading!**

**PS updates will be erratic and irregular at best. Just a warning. I will also be requiring prompts, so anyone who revies, if you would be kind enough to leave a word or two as a prompt, and I will pick one for the next chapter - thanks!**

**Disclaimer - what's the point? You all know who I'm not, and I'm not KH.**

**Oneshot numero uno - Once**

* * *

Ailen puffed his cheeks out, swinging his legs back and forth childishly as he waited in the branches of an old oak with characteristic impatience for Adam to show up. He still wasn't quite sure why the king of the First Court had such a human-sounding name, but he had never questioned it, fearing for his life if he did. Ailen had a strong instinct for self-preservation, honed by years of living with Cross, his father's most trusted advisor (though the title left him somewhat concerned for his father's mental health; who in their right mind would trust Cross?). The tall fey man was, Ailen believed, some form of rare elf that existed for the sole purpose of making his life miserable.

A vague feeling of irritation bled into his skin, coming from the base of the tree, and Ailen ceased his movements when he realised that he had unwittingly offended the ancient faerie that dwelled in his perch. Murmuring a quick apology, he jumped down, the twenty feet or so nothing to a young faerie such as himself – he landed lightly on his feet, long white cloak trailing on the ground.

He hated his official attire – though comfortable, and spun from the finest gossamer threads it was impractical and annoyed him to no end. The heavy silver mask lay at the base of his throat rather than on his face as it would during official business, and his crown was partially woven into his wavy, white hair. Long, pale fingers rubbed agitatedly at his reddened eyes as the prince cursed his lack of sleep and that irresponsible bastard Cross. He was going to rip every last one of the elf's long, red hairs from his head and use them to stuff his pillow.

Timcanpy settled himself on Ailen's shoulder, contentedly wrapping his tail around the boy's neck; his golden body was so light that Ailen barely noticed his presence until the sprite began chirping in his ear. Ailen sighed and turned his face away, silver eyes scanning the clearing for any sign of Adam.

The young prince tensed when he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance, coming steadily closer to the clearing. They were too heavy and clumsy to belong to a faerie, and he shrank back into the shade slightly, despite the low likelihood of the mortal being able to see him. He eased his double-sided sword an inch or two out of its sheath, in case he had to draw it quickly, his entire body tensed and ready for attack. The footsteps were drawing closer, their pace unhurried, and Timcanpy left his perch on Ailen's shoulder to flutter nervously around his head.

However, the mortal that stepped into the clearing certainly wasn't what Ailen was expecting. A young male, possibly a couple of years older than Ailen himself – his hair was long and dark, his features sharp and strong. He looked to be almost fey, but Ailen couldn't sense any faerie heritage in him. Curiously, the young prince took a couple of cautious steps forward, re-sheathing his sword and pulling his bow free of its case on his back. What was a human doing this close to Fourteenth territory?

He settled himself in the centre of the clearing with a soft huff, and Ailen crept closer, an arrow nocked to his bowstring, though he didn't draw it just yet. He watched the stranger warily, frowning when he realised that the man wasn't moving – that was unusual for mortals. They scurried about their lives at super-speed, rushing through everything because they only had a very limited amount of time in which to live their lives.

The mortal was breathing slowly, his hands resting upon his thighs, and Ailen's grip on his bow tightened when he saw the sword that lay by his side. He wasn't sure what this meant – he didn't think he'd ever been this close to a human before; he had only ever observed them from a distance, though he knew that many of the fey liked to mingle amongst the humans and cause havoc. However, Neah was far too overprotective to allow his only son to do something like that.

There was a strange white rectangle pinned to the mortal's shirt, and Ailen leaned closer curiously, taking a few moments to recognise each of the letters and match it up with a sound in his head – he was glad that his uncle Mana (bless his immortal soul) had thought to teach him the mechanics of human script. There were so many languages and variations – it was all so complicated and unnecessary.

"Kanda Yuu," he read slowly, tilting his head to the side and scrunching up his eyes slightly, gaze flicking between the square and the oblivious mortal's face.

Was that the mortal's name? It wasn't one that he had heard before, but then again, he'd be the first to admit that his knowledge of the humans was severely limited. He tried the name out again, and was pleased with the way it rolled off of his tongue so easily. Ailen's eyes traced the mortal's features with such intensity that it was surprising the human didn't feel his gaze moving across the pale skin.

Stupidly, foolishly, he reached out a hand to brush against Kanda's hair, curious as to whether mortals' hair was as rough as his friends claimed it to be. He jerked backwards, his heart hammering in his chest when Kanda's eyes opened, swiftly reaching for the unfamiliar sword that lay beside him, glaring around the clearing though he could see nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly, painfully slowly, his grip relaxed and his eyes closed again, though he still held the sword loosely in his right hand. Ailen heaved a sigh of relief, wondering why he had been so careless.

Timcanpy bit his ear, sharp teeth digging into the tender flesh and Ailen shouted at the pain and shock, clamping a hand over his ear so that blood would not stain the collar of his cloak. He could feel the magic in his blood working, and the wound quickly closed over, but even so, his hand was slick with dark blood. Ailen's face twisted in distaste, and he wiped the offending hand on the grass. He glared at Timcanpy angrily, puffing a breath at the small sprite and sending him tumbling through the air.

Ailen had always been curious, too curious for his own good, and he wanted to know more about this human. Perhaps it was because it was the first time he had been so close to one without and armed guard, or perhaps it was because he'd never heard of a human coming this close to the Fourteenth territory without having been lured there.

Violently, Ailen shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. Mortals didn't matter; they lived and died in the blink of an eye. He should really just return to his position and wait for Adam, as he'd been instructed.

Ailen settled himself down opposite Kanda and imitated his position. Well, Adam wouldn't be here for a little while, and it couldn't hurt to be so close to a mortal just this once.


	2. Aftermath

**Well, as you can probably tell, I'm not going to be going in order with these things :) I literally write as I get inspiration, though this one was a teensy bit of a bitch. Still, I got it down eventually, so all's well that ends well, hm? This is a sequel to the oneshot 'War' and, once again, you should be able to read this as a standalone, but it will make a Hell of a lot more sense if you go and read The Magnet Theory.**

**Disclaimerer :)**

**Aftermath**

* * *

Kanda paced restlessly around his room, hands clenched into fists at his side so that his nails cut through the hardened skin of his palms. His long hair was down, brushing against his shoulders and waist as he moved, eyes fixed firmly upon the floor. Thoughts raced through his mind at thousands of miles an hour and he paused in his pacing for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut. Mugen was a comforting weight at his hip, even if the presence of the Innocence had dulled somewhat these past couple of weeks.

The moyashi had been gone for four months, and had been out of contact with the Order for two. The only clue, the _only fucking hint_ as to his whereabouts was that the last Ark Gate to be used was gate twelve – one that had never been used before this mission. Moyashi had sealed and eventually destroyed it, meaning that none of the members of the Order had any idea where it led to. Kanda suppressed a shout of rage, spinning to punch a wall.

He watched his bruised, split knuckles heal before turning his head towards the lotus that sat serenely in the hourglass. The lost petals were restored, the flower whole once again, though he had no idea how. The glower he sent at it should have been enough to wither the flower, but it was seemingly oblivious to his obvious hatred. Pushing a hand angrily through his unbound hair, he resumed his pacing.

About a week and a half ago, Hevlaska had reported a change in the Innocence. He... She... _It_ had said that the fragments had all resounded at once, and thinking back on it, Kanda remembered how much lighter Mugen had suddenly felt between one step and the next. No one had really understood what exactly happened – at least, not at first. It was only the day afterwards that some things finally began to fall into place. All thanks to their greatest enemies.

Technically speaking, he knew that the former Clan of fucking Noah were no longer their enemies. Without the memories of seven thousand years worth of hatred, they were really nothing more than the 'sub-humans' they had once detested. They had arrived on the doorstep of the Black Order, begging forgiveness and sanctuary. And of course, without their memories, it was argued that they posed no threat to the Black Order and mankind as a whole. So Komui, the soft-hearted bastard that he was, had let them in.

Then, Kanda's anger had peaked. What, so the supervisor just conveniently _forgot_ all the times that the Noahs had tried to kill off the Exorcists? And what about the times they fucking succeeded? What about Daisya Barry, General Kevin Yeager, Suman Dark, the traitorous fucker? Had he forgotten that one of them had attacked and paralysed his 'darling' sister; that one of them had almost managed to kill Kanda; that one of them _tore a fucking hole in the moyashi's heart_? Yet, it seemed that no-one in the Order much cared about that, that they had all just _forgiven_ the Noah, despite everything they'd done. Was Kanda really the only one who still suspected them, still hated them?

The irony of the situation was, he knew that the moyashi wouldn't share his anger. That the younger boy would have long forgiven them, assuming he had ever blamed them at all. It made him sick.

After everything they'd put him through, everything they'd taken from him, the white-haired boy – _Allen_, and Kanda knew that he could say his name now, would do if the chance only fucking arose – did not have it in his heart to hate his enemies. That there was room in there for him to love the Akuma, for humans and for the Clan of Noah spoke volumes about the younger boy. Yet, why did it always seem that he pushed Kanda away so thoroughly when everyone else was let so close?

Logically, Kanda knew that the boy would have a special place in his heart for him. It wasn't him being arrogant or egotistic – for once – but just the fact that he knew the younger boy so well. Allen had reserved places in his heart for all of his comrades; all of his friends. He may love everyone (even the Earl to an extent which, quite frankly, fucking terrified Kanda) but his comrades were the ones who were truly dear to him.

So why was it that Kanda felt the urge to try to create a bigger gap for himself, that he was always trying to win the moyashi's affections, or even just a smile? Why did he have to try _so damn hard_ when the love for everyone else was automatically given? He loved the moyashi, he knew that – but he knew that the matter would only be complicated if Allen shared his feelings.

Briefly, Kanda considered going down to the canteen – his thoughts were taking dangerous turns, and he blamed his empty stomach. Then he remembered what time it was, who would be there already, and the thought of all of the fucking ex-Noah sitting alongside his comrades, laughing and talking like the oldest of friends when _he himself_ was incapable of doing so, made him sick to his stomach.

He knew why everyone was so happy, so relieved by their appearance – despite his attitude and anger towards them, he did truly understand. The fall of the Noah clan inevitably meant the fall of the Millennium Earl, and an end to the seven-thousand year war. So then, the question was, why wasn't everyone celebrating? There should be parties every day in the Order, feasting and drinking at every turn. And, once again, the reason was quite simple and he understood it completely.

The moyashi – the very _reason_ they should all be celebrating – had still not returned.

Kanda shut his eyes, his legs giving way beneath him – he barely managed to catch himself before he hit the floor, lowering himself carefully to his knees. He thought of the candle in the church, replaced every day after it had burned down to a mere lump of wax. He thought of the moyashi, and his idiotic grin – the one he maintained no matter how he truly felt. He thought of the exact shade of silver in his eyes, of the way his white hair caught the sunlight, the way the scar on his face served as a reminder of the past he never deserved.

Eventually, necessity won out over Kanda's anger. The soft complaining of his stomach was irritating, and he would be damned if he allowed those Noah to be the cause of him starving to death.

The corridors were cold and draughty, oddly similar to the church, and Kanda shivered, his steps quickening as he stormed down the hallways. His sound of his boots against the stone floor echoed unnaturally loud in the still air, and it was a miracle that he heard the singing when he did.

Pausing to listen intently, Kanda realised that the voice couldn't be that far away, though in the labyrinth that was the Black Order's headquarters, that distance might as well be thousands of miles. He hurried towards where he thought the singing was coming from, the voice and lyrics growing clearer as he ran. He didn't recognise the song, but he thought that he knew the voice from somewhere.

He tried not to pay attention to lyrics, tried to focus on the voice and where he thought he knew it from, but he couldn't help himself. From the words, he would guess that the song was a lullaby, though he couldn't be certain.

_Sleep my child, and peace attend thee; all through the night._

Kanda sped up, his footsteps almost drowning out the voice. He listened harder, making a sharp left when he identified the direction of the echoes. His heart was beating so fast, thrumming in his ears.

_Guardian angels God will send thee; all through the night._

Kanda growled under his breath as he took a wrong turn, hurrying back the way he came and hurtling down a different corridor.

_Soft the drowsy hours are creeping; hill and vale in slumber sleeping; I my loving vigil keeping; all through the night._

By now, Kanda was breathing heavily, both from exertion and from the adrenaline that was rushing through him, cursing violently between pants as he ran. He had a sickening feeling that he was beginning to recognise the voice and skidded to a halt when he finally reached the Ark.

_While the moon her watch is keeping; all through the night._

The gateway had been opened and he stepped through cautiously, Mugen clenched tightly in his fist. He moved forward quickly, keeping constant vigilance. Desperate he may be; stupid he was not.

_While the weary world is sleeping; all through the night.  
_

Eventually, he reached the door he was looking for – the one that wasn't supposed to exist, yet did beyond a shadow of a doubt. He stared at the door to the piano room before extending a hand and pushing it open. It swung on silent hinges, and the voice swelled out to greet him, warm and loving.

_O'er the spirit gently stealing; visions of delight revealing; breathes a pure and holy feeling; all through the night._

The Fourteenth looked up at him, and Kanda stared back. After what seemed like an eternity, though, the _fucking _Noah smiled sadly, his gaze turning to the prone figure that lay on the sofa before him, and Kanda cursed himself for not noticing the moyashi sooner. The Noah's fingers were tangled in strands of white hair and Kanda felt a flash of rage rip through him before he calmed himself. For a brief moment, he wondered why this Noah was still alive (and outside of the moyashi's brain) when all of the others had died before deciding he didn't care.

Slowly, the Fourteenth stood and stretched, ignoring Kanda's glare and waving a careless hand. A door opened and he turned to walk through it, pausing only to throw a strange look over his shoulder at Kanda, that sad smile still in place.

_Take care of him._

As soon as the door closed, Kanda snapped out of whatever trance he had been in, hurrying forwards to gather the fragile body in his arms, taking note of the new scars that littered pale skin. He was careful not to move the moyashi too much, but couldn't resist the urge to hold the moyashi a little closer to his chest, just enough that he could feel the younger boy's heart beating.

For a moment, Allen's eyes flickered open, drowsily meeting Kanda's before a sleepy smile spread across his face, and _fuck_ if that expression wasn't brighter than all of the candles Kanda had lit combined. He felt his own, answering smile – or smirk, as the two were one and the same when it came to Kanda – tug at his lips and closed his eyes. Perhaps there was a God after all.

_Thank you._

_

* * *

_

**I hope that the ending was satisfactory :/ I had so many different ways I wanted it to end... with Allen just being the Fourteenth now and Kanda breaking down, with Allen being the Millennium Earl, with Allen losing all of his memories, etc. Then I decided to write something reasonably happy, since I was in quite a good mood. **

**As to what happened with the Fourteenth... I have my own theory, and I'm sure that you have yours :) **

**Review please?**


	3. Strings

**What am I thinking, writing Yullen when I should be doing homework? I'm thinking of you, of course. Yes, you. You right there, sitting there and reading this. I mean you.**

**For those of you who read TJTCATW, I am currently halfway through the next chapter, and it should, with any luck, be out quite soon. I just wanted to get this out of my system first, and good Lord was it a bitch to write. Action sequences really aren't my forte (but then again, neither is romance... which makes me wonder why I write Yullen) so please forgive how supremely short they are.**

**This one is from the Marionette universe, since it seemed to be reasonably popular. Also, please read the note at the bottom.**

**If I told you that I owned D Gray Man, would you believe me? No? Good, because I don't.**

**Strings**

* * *

Kanda crouched behind a stack of empty crates, his heartbeat loud in his ears as he strained to listen for the sound of footsteps. The communications device – the latest model from Central – buzzed faintly in his ear, not helping matters in the slightest. Each breath seemed to echo through the room, though he knew that logically none but him would be able to hear it.

_Fuck,_ he thought, the muscles in his leg twitching uncontrollably as blood slowly stained his dark trousers a strange red-brown colour. Nothing major had been hit, but he was still losing a lot of blood as he waited for his newly-implanted healing genes to kick in. He didn't quite care how or why they worked, but as far as he was concerned, they weren't doing their job well enough. Slowly, he shifted his leg to a slightly more comfortable position, grimacing at both the sound of his heel against the floor and the flash of pain in his leg.

This whole damn mission was cursed from the start. Get in, destroy some of the Earl's machines, collect the Innocence cylinder, and get out as fast as you can. Fucking bullshit.

What Central had failed to mention to him was that this was nothing short of a suicide mission. Somehow, it must have _slipped their minds_ that the Earl was planning on testing his newest in a long line of crazy-yet-successful weapons. They must have known about it – there was no way they couldn't. It had been the only thing the Order had been talking about for the past half a year; the creation of Project 14.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ Kanda thought desperately at the sound of approaching footsteps. One of the Earl's family, the 'Noah Clan' had been following him for a while – the smallest one, Rhode. In fact, he was pretty sure that she'd been watching him since he had arrived in the warehouse, but she had waited for the whatever-it-was to pierce through his leg before showing herself. He assumed that the whatever-it-was was a part of Project 14, as he'd never encountered that particular type of weaponry before. Either that or the Earl had gotten around to upgrading his Akuma again.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" She sang childishly. "We want to play with you some more, Exorcist. We'll make it fun, we promise!"

Because _that_ was going to convince him. If the situation was any less serious he would have snorted.

There was a quiet sigh from the girl before she started talking again, her voice sounding resigned this time. "Well, it doesn't look like he's here. I'll go and look on ahead, and you stay here and take a decent look around, okay brother?" There was no verbal reply, but some sort of exchange must have taken place between the two of them, for Kanda could hear Rhode skipping out of the room, humming a cheerful song as she went.

Even when holding his breath and straining his ears, Kanda couldn't hear the sound of anymore footsteps. He remained cautiously frozen for a few more minutes before shifting slightly to peer around the crates, careful to keep as much of himself hidden as possible. He frowned when he saw that the room was empty – who had Rhode been talking to?

The feel of a gun against the back of his head answered any questions he might have had and he cursed himself for becoming so complacent. Swearing under his breath and silently thanking the scientists back at the Order, Kanda stood up, testing his weight on his newly-healed leg. It was fine, just a little bit shaky. He raised his arms, hands open to show that he wasn't holding any weapons, but the gun against his skull didn't even waver. What sort of new psycho was this? It wasn't an Akuma; that much at least was certain. Their limited AI wouldn't have allowed for an ambush like this, much less kept them quiet like this. It could be one of the Noah family – Rhode had said 'brother' after all – but for some reason, that rang false to Kanda.

"Name."

_What?_ Kanda thought in confusion – the voice was human, that much was certain, but it had a strange robotic quality to it that left it void of all semblance of emotion. He – at least, he assumed that the speaker was male – had turned what ought to be a threatening question into a bored statement. Kanda almost snorted – and he had thought that he was emotionally stunted.

"Go fuck yourself," Kanda growled.

"Invalid. Name."

"As if I'd tell you, fucktard," Kanda snarled, suddenly grateful for the masks Central provided them to hide their identity. They were useful for protection, both from being recognised and – to an extent – from attacks that were aimed at the Exorcists' face.

"Invalid. Name."

Either this guy was incredibly thick or was trying to piss Kanda off. This was ridiculous, Kanda decided, his hand twitching for a gun or his Innocence-imbued sword, Mugen. A sword may have been very old-fashioned, but Mugen had never failed him; unlike half of the new weapons the Order insisted on creating. Thinking as quickly as the situation allowed, Kanda created a name on the spot.

"Alma Karma," he said quickly, wondering where it had sprung from. There was a pause that was heavy with tension before the gun was removed from the back of his head. Kanda felt a smirk curl at his lips – that was a mistake.

"Not recognised," the man said, his voice showing the first hint of emotion Kanda had heard from him – he sounded slightly uncertain. "You are an Exorcist with the Black Order. The Maker ordered me to kill all Exorcists." The gun returned to its position at Kanda's head, and he swore silently – he had missed his chance. Even with his new healing abilities, he wasn't sure that he could survive a bullet to the brain.

"What do you mean, 'not recognised'?" Kanda asked, desperate to distract his opponent, even if only for a second.

"You are not listed by the Maker. But you are an Exorcist, and I must kill the Exorcists." All traces of hesitation were now gone, leaving behind only a steely determination and a slight note of – resignation? _What the fuck?_

"Well go ahead then," Kanda sneered, running out of ideas now but desperate to drag this out for as long as possible. "What's the matter? Why haven't you killed me yet, huh? Afraid? Too weak to do it?" He was grasping at straws now, trying to goad the other into doing something foolish or reckless – anything that would give Kanda a chance to escape.

"I must kill the... I must... I... I must kill..." The boy trailed off, and Kanda couldn't help but think that he sounded like a broken record. "I must _kill the Exorcist!_"

That was all the warning Kanda received and he ducked as the shot flew past the spot his head had been less than a second before. The bright white energy that tore a hole in the opposite wall was awfully familiar and Kanda felt a cold chill run through him when he realised that this was the same weapon that had been turned against him earlier – Project 14. He would have to watch his step if he stood any chance of getting out of here alive. Spinning around, he launched himself forward and activated Mugen, taking his opponent off guard.

His attack was blocked by a metallic arm – no, Kanda realised, just an arm encased in black metal, similar to the rest of the man's body. Mugen didn't even scratch the surface, which disturbed him – even if this was the Earl's latest creation, Mugen should have been more than a match for any Dark Matter energies.

Another bolt of what looked like white energy flew past him, grazing his upper arm, and Kanda hissed through his teeth, tightening his grip on Mugen. The man was holding his arm out, and Kanda realised that he was staring down the barrel of a gun where the man's hand had been only moments before. The weapon had been directly grafted into the strange armour that coated him head-to-toe and it seemed that he could control it without any visible or verbal commands. He could see the white energy that was forming and he prepared to throw himself out of the way, Mugen clenched tightly in his hand.

"Enough, Fourteenth!" Rhode's high voice was cold and commanding – immediately, and without any thought as to what Kanda might do with such an opportunity, the weapon retracted back into the smooth black metal. Kanda couldn't see the man's eyes through the visor he wore, but he could feel that the other man's gaze was no longer fixed on him. Readying himself to attack, Kanda charged forwards, and it was by a stroke of bad luck that the building shook at that moment, throwing him off balance.

He grunted as he was slammed against the floor, the healing wound on his arm opening again at the impact. Glancing up, Kanda's eyes narrowed as he tried to catch a glimpse of Rhode and the new soldier. He saw the two of them standing by the door, seemingly unaffected by the collapsing building. Rhode raised her hand and waved cheerfully to him.

"Better luck next time, Exorcist!"

* * *

Kanda stormed into the dingy, smoky bar with a furious scowl on his face. None of the patriots glanced up, all of them intent on whatever shady activities they were involved in – either that or they were just too fucking smashed to react. Drug abuse ran rampant in areas like this, and many people in the bar were already too drunk or high to function.

Seating himself next to a silent, hooded figure, Kanda ordered a drink and rested his head on his folded arms, cursing Central under his breath in rather violent tones. The man next to him didn't appear to be overly bothered, calmly sipping his drink with his face still hidden behind his hood. When his drink arrived, Kanda immediately took a large mouthful, swallowing quickly and ignoring the dull burn in the back of his throat. Within minutes he'd finished, but it had barely taken the edge off of his thoughts. Scoffing quietly, Kanda ordered another, ignoring the mildly curious looks his neighbour was shooting him.

By the time he had finished his fourth drink, Kanda was feeling pleasantly relaxed, though of course, he refused to let down his constant guard. And it was about then that another problem made itself known.

Kanda was annoyed. He was angry, frustrated, furious, livid and very, _very_ horny. It had been several weeks since he had last had a decent break, and by extension, several weeks since he had been laid. When one was in a profession such as Kanda's free time was hard to come by, and sometimes the pent-up frustrations just built and built. He needed some sort of outlet, and sex was as good as any. At least he wasn't putting his life in danger like the usagi did with his ridiculous adrenaline-junkie stunts.

Next to him, the man was just finishing off his drink; he placed a few coins on the bar and stood up to leave. Seeing a sudden opportunity in his slightly fuzzy mind, Kanda did the same, catching hold of the man's arm as he turned to leave. The stranger turned around, and Kanda lifted his other hand to brush the hood back.

Startled silver eyes gazed curiously at him from beneath locks of white hair, and Kanda was struck by how colourless the man – no, boy was. Perhaps the only exception to that was the dark purple-red scar that cut through the left half of his face. He was younger than Kanda by perhaps a couple of years, but he already had the toned figure and wary stance of an adult. His face revealed nothing other than a mild inquisitiveness, but Kanda could sense the emotion rolling off of him in waves. To his great delight, they matched his own almost exactly.

Kanda smirked. He would do quite nicely.

* * *

**Hello again, friend of a friend~ Anyway, moving swiftly onward, I have a question. Ha ha, another one, yes I do seem to have a habit of asking my readers questions. Here is the question this time:**

**I am thinking of writing an original shounen-ai/yaoi fic. If I were to do so, would any of you consider readng it? There are still so many things to sort out before I can even consider it seriously, but I would like to hear some opinions. If I were to do so, I would post it on fictionpress and leave a link and stuff, but I'm kind of curious. I may put up a poll to get a better idea, but this could be good for initial interest and stuffs.**

**Peace out~**


	4. Sweet and Sour

**Oh, I am back. Fear me, and my author-powers of doom. Or some junk like that. Well, whatever I'm back for now, and hopefully I will be able to update stuffs for a little while - I don't have any more major exams until May, discounting coursework (and seriously, who counts coursework?). **

**Soooo, this is a continuation of sorts from Bittersweet, though you could probably all tell that from the title. Aren't I original?**

**Review are love. More than mini-pigs or pie. More than mini-pigs AND pie.**

**Disclaimer - I can't afford a lawyer D: Please don't sue.**

* * *

The halls of the Black Order were quiet as had once been usual, but Lenalee didn't find that particularly comforting – she had grown used to the near-constant fights of Allen and Kanda, as well as the rumble of distant Komurins. To the shouts of Finders who had been pranked by Lavi, or the pathetic wails of overtired scientists deprived of their early-morning caffeine boost.

The tray that was balanced on her hand was heavy but not overly so, and it was something that she had long since grown accustomed to. She paused only to say hello to a couple of the newer Finders and for a quick chat with some of the older ones. She quickly moved on, however, her footsteps light and quick as she hurried down the hallways. It had been several hours since the last coffee round, and no doubt the much-needed substance was already being craved by the science division.

Lenalee smiled softly at the sight of the new signs that hung from almost every corner – having learned of Allen's... directional difficulties, the science team had spent one of their well-earned days off creating signs to help him find his way.

Though he had smiled and thanked them politely (and with every impression of sincerity) Lenalee knew he found them to be somewhat insulting, no matter how useful they were.

Perhaps, though, that was the fault of his friends as much as anything. He had been teased mercilessly for the first few days, particularly by Lavi. Kanda just scoffed with a smirk, and Lenalee herself had watched Allen carefully to make sure that he was not too upset by their attitude. She hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, but then, Allen was a wonderfully gifted actor.

The hallways were cold and she shivered, quickening her pace, heels clicking on the stone floor.

Her first stop was the training floor – it was several hours after Allen and Kanda's ritualistic morning spar, so the area was likely to be populated by Exorcists and Finders who were no longer afraid for their lives. Lenalee smiled indulgently and shook her head; those two were ridiculous. They were supposed to be comrades, and most of the time they acted like the most bitter of enemies. Still, she saw the light in their eyes as they argued, and she knew that they cared for one another, even if they could never admit it.

The hallway leading up to the most popular training area was surprisingly quiet – normally one could hear the tell-tale sound of combat as they approached. Lenalee frowned, hurrying forward, driven by some instinct; one that had grown sharp after years on the battlefield.

She threw the door open, but the quiet sound was swallowed by the large room, and she stepped quickly inside, the try still balanced on her hand through habit more than anything else. However, it quickly became clear why there was no one in the room training. At least, clear to someone like her, who knew the odd habits and traditions of the Black Order – even if this one was somewhat more recent.

Allen and Kanda were leaning against one of the wider pillars, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Mugen lay a few feet away from them – and Lenalee boggled at that as Kanda never usually let the sword leave his hand or hip – and the deep scratches in the marble above them hinted at Crowned Clown's work. Allen's eyes were shut, a weak grin on his face as his chest heaved gently, and Kanda was staring up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression.

"You know, moyashi," Kanda said, his voice quiet but carrying easily through the vast room. "You're actually bearable when you spar." Lenalee had to hold back a giggle, unwilling to break up the undeniably rare sight.

"Hm," Allen replied thoughtfully. "Does that mean that I'm not bearable in any other situation, baKanda?" There was a dark, dangerous tone in his voice as well as something else that Lenalee vaguely recognised but couldn't identify. It certainly wasn't anything she'd heard in Allen's voice before. Kanda chuckled, and though it was subtly different, Lenalee thought that she heard the same thing in Kanda's voice.

"I wouldn't say that," he said and smirked; Lenalee's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when he reached over, tilted Allen's face up and kissed him. Strong, lightly tanned hands tangled in white hair to bring the other boy closer to him, and even from where she was stood across the room, Lenalee could see Kanda's mouth against Allen's; could see how gentle the older boy was being with him. His hands seemed to almost cradle Allen's face and it was evident, even to Lenalee who had little experience in such matters, how much Kanda was holding himself back.

Allen, on the other hand, seemed to have no such restraints. His mouth opened almost immediately, and Lenalee could feel herself blushing to the very tips of her ears when she saw Allen's tongue trace Kanda's lips. She couldn't tear her eyes away, even as she watched Kanda's mouth open in response. There was something undeniably... attractive about the scene before her. For a moment, she thought she saw Kanda smirk, but then it was gone as he pulled Allen into his lap, and the white haired boy's hands began drifting lower.

Rushing from the room, doing everything in her power to keep silent, Lenalee's face seemed to be frozen in an expression of mortification and embarrassment. She could feel the warmth radiating from her cheeks and knew that she would be flushed bright red.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Lenalee glanced down at the coffee mugs still on the tray in her hands – miraculously, nothing had been spilt. They were even still steaming, which was good. She began to walk on unsteady legs, all the while trying to comprehend what she had just seen.

Allen and Kanda were... Well, in a romantic relationship, she supposed. But – they were both male! It was unheard of, unnatural. Yet... Yet...

They were still just _Kanda and Allen_. They still fought like a cat and dog, they were still two of the best Exorcists the Black Order had, excluding of course the great Generals. Allen was still polite and kind to a fault and Kanda was still bad-tempered and withdrawn. Just, not when it came to each other, it seemed. Kanda had been so soft, dare she even think it, and Allen had seemed almost dangerous.

Without realising it, Lenalee had come to a stop again. She closed her eyes for a few moments, wondering at this new information. _Allen _and _Kanda_. _Kanda_ and _Allen_.

_Together_.

"Lenalee!" Called a cheerful voice, and Lenalee hastily opened her eyes to see Lavi sauntering down the hall towards her, a broad grin spread across his face. He waved jauntily, green eye shining even in the dim light that filtered through the high windows. Lenalee quickly pulled a smile onto her face at the sight of him.

"Oh, hi Lavi!" She said, and was pleased to notice that her voice sounded only slightly strained. "How are you?"

"Eh, can't complain," he chuckled easily. "What about you? Your face looks a lil' bit red – are you feelin' okay? You aren't coming down with a fever, are ya? Komui'll have our asses."

"Oh, no, no," she squeaked, her voice at least half an octave higher than its normal pitch. Perhaps she'd have to ask Allen for acting les – of course. Allen. Half of the cause of her current 'ailment'. "I'm feeling fine, just fine."

"You sure?" Lavi asked squinting at her. "You're looking flushed, and your voice has gone all weird. Is there something bothering you?" His voice was suddenly serious, and Lenalee couldn't help but be reminded that Lavi was, first and foremost, a Bookman apprentice. No matter how much he may act like 'Lavi', it was still only a persona that he had adopted. He was unbiased – and completely trustworthy with secret information.

"Lavi," Lenalee began hesitantly. She took a deep breath and continued at his encouraging nod. "Do you...know?"

Lavi raised a sceptical brow. "I know a great many things, Lenalee, it's part of the job description. Care to be a little more specific? Can you at least give me a time frame to work with or something?"

"Do you, you know... know?" Lenalee asked meaningfully, flicking her eyes back and forth between Lavi's confused gaze and the door of the training room. After a few seconds of staring, Lavi's eye widened in realisation and he began to laugh. He bent over almost double, clutching at his stomach, until at last he was sobered by Lenalee's impatient stare and tapping foot. No man wanted to cross her – even without her Dark Boots activated, she had a kick to be feared.

"You mean about moyashi-chan and Yuu-chan? Sure I know – they're not nearly as stealthy as they like to think they are," Lavi said, his shoulders shaking with the effort of holding back his laughter. "Though if it makes you feel any better, I only found out a couple of weeks ago, by chance."

That was a very poor attempt at making her feel better, but the thought was there, she supposed. She nodded slowly and walked away, intent on delivering the coffee and not noticing the devious glint that lit up Lavi's eye as she left.

* * *

"_So_, moyashi-chan, how's your morning going?" Lavi asked Allen cheerfully at breakfast the next day. Lenalee sat with them and Kanda, not missing the way Kanda sat just a few inches too close to Allen for it to be entirely accidental. The red-haired apprentice slung a casual arm around Allen's shoulders, and it was quite apparent to everyone at their table how the tension radiating from Kanda increased. His teeth were clenched, his brow furrowed and he glared at Lavi as though he were the cause of all of the world's problems.

Knowing Kanda, that probably wasn't too far from his actual beliefs.

Lenalee sighed at Lavi's antics, knowing that the young man would always act this immature when not in the centre of some form of crisis. It was clear that he was trying to bait Kanda, and from the look on the Japanese man's face, it was working.

Allen politely swallowed his mouthful before speaking. "I've told you not to call me that, Lavi. Besides, it's still too early for me to say how my morning is going," he said with a soft smile.

"Aw, but you let Yuu-chan call you that," Lavi whined, and Lenalee wondered if she was imagining the calculating look on his face. Kanda's lips curled very slightly.

"I don't _let _him call me that – I complain about it, but it never gets through his thick skull," Allen shrugged unconcernedly. "You, on the other hand, ought to know better, Bookman-in-training. I would think that you at least would be able to remember my real name." His voice was deceptively gentle and sweet, and Lenalee couldn't quite rid herself of the memory of yesterday – was it really possible that that was the same Allen she was seeing now?

"Tch, I don't call you moyashi because I can't remember your name," Kanda scoffed, a sour expression on his face. Allen turned to him, leaning a fraction closer and raised a sceptical brow. Suddenly Lenalee realised what Lavi had meant the previous day – those two really were quite obvious about their feelings when you knew what to look for. How did the whole Order not yet know?

"Oh no? Then why _do _you call me a beansprout, baKanda?" He asked innocently, all wide-eyed and the very picture of curiosity; Lenalee saw the way Kanda's eyes darkened subtly at Allen's expression and tone of voice.

"Because it suits you better, idiot," Kanda replied tersely. Lenalee wondered if she imagined the slightly fond edge that crept into his voice.

"Hmph. I'll get you for that later, baKanda," Allen smirked, and Lenalee wasn't sure if those words truly held a double meaning or if she was simply being paranoid now. Kanda raised a challenging brow, and they held eye contact for just long enough that Lavi and Lenalee began to feel uncomfortable. They shifted slightly, just enough to get the attention of the other two, and just like that, the moment was broken.

Kanda averted his eyes slightly. "I'm going to train. You coming, moyashi?" And if that wasn't a blatant invitation, then Lenalee didn't know what was.

"Well, I don't have anything better to be doing," Allen replied casually, and Lenalee quickly decided that he was far better at deception than Kanda. Lavi snorted quietly and tried to hastily cover it with a cough when Kanda shot a glance his way. Kanda just scoffed and spun on his heel, stalking out of the room, black hair a banner behind him. Allen smiled warmly at his friends and hurried after Kanda with a quick wave goodbye.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"When they say train... Do they mean-?"

"I think so."

"How long until it's safe?"

"I hate to think."

Lavi and Lenalee exchanged a quick glance.

"How about we never talk about this again?"

"I think that would be for the best."

* * *

**Hehe, Allen and Kanda FAIL at stealth. See you next time :D**


	5. Looking Glass I

**Wow, my brain spews random shit someetimes. Anyway, this is part 1 of a two or three-part thing that I'm going to be calling 'The Looking Glass.' No, it isn't strictly a oneshot, nor is it really a followup from any of the Magnet Theory, but this is where I'll be putting my random little Yullen ficlets from now on. Anyway, this was based on an original plot bunny I had the other day, but I really think that it works better as a Yullen. And speaking of original plot bunnies, the epic original tale of shounen-ai-ness has begun! More details at the bottom for those of you who are morbidly curious.**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimed.**

* * *

Allen had not been there for 'as long as he could remember'. He had not met him in a spectacular way, nor had he even particularly like him when they did meet. However, it would be a lie to say that their first meeting was not memorable – simply because it was just that. In fact, Kanda really couldn't think of any other way to put it, except for perhaps just plain weird.

He was young – younger than one would expect simply from looking at his appearance. In fact, to the best of Kanda's knowledge, he was only months (a year at most) old. Having never ventured outside the Order, his knowledge of the world was very limited, especially since all curiosity seemed to have dried up with the death of his sole friend – yet, despite his ignorance, even Kanda was sure that seeing people in the mirror wasn't normal.

It had been simple enough; he had been washing his face and wondering if anyone else could see the smears of red his hands left behind, when he thought he heard something – like a laugh. Spinning around to face the rest of the room, Kanda had relaxed only marginally when he saw that it was empty. Turning back to the mirror, Kanda had shouted aloud when he saw the smiling boy standing on the other side of it.

At Kanda's reaction, the boy's smile only widened. His silver eyes danced in the harsh lighting of the bathroom, and Kanda took a couple of seconds to calm his breathing and his racing heart. All the while, the boy continued to smile, his eyes never leaving Kanda's face.

"Who are you?" Kanda finally whispered, only realising after he had spoken that he was talking to the reflection of someone who _wasn't there_. He was about to turn away in disgust of his own stupidity when a soft voice whispered to him, though the figure in the mirror didn't move.

'_You may call me Allen.'_

Kanda wanted to cry – as if the blooming lotus wasn't enough, he know had a mirror-friend who could apparently speak directly into his mind. However, he held the tears at bay – to cry would be a breakdown of his pride, and besides, Alma was the one who cried, not him.

Though that was when Alma was still alive, of course.

At that thought, Kanda had to physically fight down the urge to cry – he asked Allen another question to distract himself from the rising sadness.

"Why are you in the mirror? Why can I see you?"

Perhaps that was two questions rather than one, but Kanda rather felt that they were closely linked, and either way, he doubted anyone would complain.

The figure – Allen – seemed to pause and consider his questions carefully.

_'You can see me because your eyes have grown accustomed to seeing things that others do not – your mind was opened to my existence by the death of your friend and your unusual birth. As to why I am in the mirror... I'm afraid that it is a subject I do not like to think about.'_

Kanda frowned at that. The answer had been vague and cryptic at best, yet it did not seem as though Allen was willing to say anything else, so in the end he dropped the subject.

All he could do was hope that this was some crazy hallucination, and that Allen would be gone by the next day.

* * *

A week later, and Allen was still following him wherever he went – or, at the very least, everywhere he went where there happened to be a reflective surface. On the second day of Allen's presence, Kanda had responded by punching the mirror he was staring at – to his horror, not only did Allen not disappear, but now his reflection was distorted and reflected a thousand times over, one for every small shard of glass, though it should not have been possible.

Having pulled the pieces of glass from his knuckle and watched the wound close with a detached curiosity, Kanda found himself turning to Allen once again.

"How long are you going to stay here?" He asked harshly, praying that Allen would have the sense to give him a straight answer. Allen tilted his head to one side, his face thoughtful. Once again, his voice answered directly in Kanda's mind, without Allen moving his lips. His voice was soft as a breath, but the sound was clear and indisputably _his_.

_'Until I go away, I suppose.'_

What does that mean?" Kanda asked, growing angrier by the second. Allen smiled a little sadly, but his voice was still calm and thoughtful.

_'It means that I don't quite know myself,' _he said, and his shoulders shrugged slightly a thousand times over. Kanda heaved a sigh, slumping down and burying his face in his hands. Though still very young by anyone's estimation, he felt suddenly far too old and world-weary. Allen watched him with wide, disturbingly bright silver eyes and Kanda scoffed slightly.

He walked out of the room after taking a few extra seconds to stamp down on the remaining shards of the mirror with a booted foot.

The corridors were quiet, for which Kanda was grateful – the European Branch was certainly different to the Asian Branch, though the decor was virtually identical. Kanda supposed it was mostly the people here who were so very different. Normally in the European Branch, there were always people bustling to and fro, talking to him, asking him how he felt. In the Asian Branch, people had avoided him like the plague; he much preferred that.

Every time he walked past a window, he couldn't but glance at it and grit his teeth when he saw that Allen was still walking alongside him in the reflection. He quickly looked around to make sure that no-one was there to hear him talking to 'himself'.

"Why are you following me? Stop it!" He hissed, and Allen smiled gently at him when he next walked past a window.

_'I would, if only I knew how. I've been alone for so very long, you see, and now that there is someone who can see me, I can't quite seem to leave. I'm most terribly sorry for the inconvenience.'_

Kanda scowled to make his disbelief quite clear to Allen before he snorted and turned on his heel to stomp away. This time, he didn't look around at the windows.

* * *

The first time Kanda met Lenalee, he'd been having a conversation with Allen. In the time that they had known one another, they had become quite skilled at having silent conversations. Speaking almost entirely inside of Kanda's mind, it had been difficult at first; Kanda kept accidentally speaking aloud or allowing his expression to give too much away. Now, he could stare 'out of the window' (at Allen's image) and speak with him for hours without anyone being any the wiser.

_'There's someone trying to get your attention,' _Allen said suddenly, cutting Kanda off in the middle of a rant about the new supervisor. Rumour had it that he was here for his sister – who had been seen by no-one – but Kanda didn't particularly care about that. All that mattered to him was the man's utter insanity.

_'Kanda, you're just being rude now. Talk to her. Acknowledge her. Do something other than ignore her existence completely.'_

_Why? _Kanda asked silently, his frown deepening slightly, though he didn't really notice, engrossed as he was in the conversation.

_'Because I said so,' _Allen replied simply, before giving Kanda the mental equivalent of a hard kick. Kanda glanced up quickly, only to meet a wide, violet gaze. Kanda scowled at the small girl until her lower lip began to tremble. He didn't care.

"What do you want?" He asked rudely, and tears welled up in her eyes. There was a disapproving sound from Allen, but Kanda ignored him.

"I – I -" She stammered, though she did not seem to be able to form a coherent sentence. After a while Kanda just snorted and turned away, intent on re-igniting his discussion with Allen' unfortunately, it seemed that Allen had other ideas, much to Kanda's disgust.

_'Be nice to her! Or else!'_

_Or else what?_

_'I'll never speak to you again.' _Allen sounded smug, and a year ago, Kanda would have been filled with relief and pride that he had finally found a way to make Allen leave him alone. As it was, he was nearly panicking at the thought of losing the one person who could still treat him like a normal person and not piss him off every ten second. Well, perhaps that wasn't true – Allen did still piss him off. But for some reason, Kanda found that he didn't really mind it.

_Fine!_

"Tch, sit down already," Kanda grumbled, indicating the dusty floor of the training room. Hesitantly she did so, and Kanda averted his eyes, hoping that this would be enough to placate Allen.

_'She looks so afraid of something,'_ Allen whispered, his voice sympathetic. _'What do you suppose it could be?'_

_Tch, like I care._

_'Kanda...' _Allen said, his voice a clear warning. Kanda gritted his teeth and swallowed his pride for the second time in the space of about five minutes. He would rather do anything than willingly talk to this little, trembling girl. Allen would be the death of him one day, he really would.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked harshly. Her eyes widened at being addressed so rudely, but she looked quickly away as though she couldn't stand to hold his gaze. Well, that was nothing new to Kanda – very few people wanted to look him in the eyes these days. She opened her mouth to say something and then shut it again, apparently thinking better of whatever it was she had wanted to say. "Well?"

"I'm h-hiding," she whispered eventually, her voice cracked and strained. "From L-Leverrier." Kanda couldn't blame her – that man was a nasty piece of work. Something seemed to occur to her, and she gasped, staring up at him with overflowing eyes. "Y-you won't t-tell him I'm here, w-will you?" She asked.

Kanda sighed heavily, but Allen's presence was like a disapproving stare. Not that Kanda normally cared about something like that, but as always, Allen was the exception.

"I won't tell anyone if you don't want," he grumbled quietly, closing his eyes.

_Happy now?_

_'Almost. What's her name?'_

_Why do you care?_

_'Because I'm curious and you need a friend that doesn't live above the bathroom sink.'_

_You don't live above the bathroom sink, you live in anything reflective._

_'Details, Kanda; it amounts to the same thing either way. You're being pedantic and stalling for time. Ask her what her name is.'_

"What's your name?" Kanda asked eventually, his voice as quiet as he could possibly make it without making Allen angry. The girl blinked a couple of times, her tear-stained face tilted in his direction. Kanda scowled and repeated himself, a little louder.

"L-Lenalee," she managed eventually, and Kanda's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch – his version of utterly dumbstruck. "Lenalee Lee."

* * *

Though it took a long time, Lenalee eventually came to be one of the few people at the Order that Kanda didn't hate. She wasn't his friend, exactly – that honour was reserved for Alma and Allen. However, she had earned enough respect to be called his comrade. Everyone else loved the sweet girl; how she was _kind_ and _caring_ and _thoughtful_. As far as Kanda was concerned, she was a scared child who came running to him every time Leverrier was in the building. Oddly enough, though, he found that her presence wasn't nearly as irritating as it probably should've been.

Though he thought that that was most probably due to the fact that Allen would spend the rest of the day happy if Kanda took the time to say a few words to her.

He wasn't entirely sure _why_ that made bile rise in his throat as his stomach churned, but he didn't think it was overly important.

The baka usagi, however, was a completely different matter altogether. Having met him when Kanda was roughly six (though his appearance was closer to sixteen) he had taken an instant dislike to the young man which had only grown as they got to know one another. Kanda detested him – being in the same room for more than about five minutes was enough to make Kanda want to run Mugen through his own stomach, if only to get away from the constant energy that the usagi seemed to radiate.

It certainly wasn't because Allen had once commented on how handsome he thought Lavi was. Such a suggestion toed the line between 'insane' and 'absurd'. His only consolation, at that moment, was reminding himself how many times Allen had complimented _him_. Not that he cared, of course.

He was eight (eighteen) now, and his dislike for Lavi had not wavered in the slightest. He knew that Allen disapproved severely, but he wasn't about to try to be the usagi's friend just to stop Allen whining in his ear. For the most part he did try to be civil – that was, he remained silent and glared at inanimate objects – but the baka usagi just would not leave him _alone _(with Allen). Not that the usagi knew he reasons – nobody did, not even Allen most of the time.

However, being stuck on a train with the usagi and Lenalee for the better part of three hours would surely grate on anyone's nerves. Even Allen, patient as ever, had to admit that Lavi's rendition of 'ten thousand bottles of beer on the wall' was rather irritating.

Kanda found it enough to drive anyone to mass homicide.

_'Is he nearly done yet?' _Allen asked wearily, uncovering his ears for a moment to listen cautiously. Kanda grimaced and tried to stop his eye from twitching with little success.

_Not yet. He's down to six hundred and forty two bottles of fucking beer._

_'Language,' _Allen thought tiredly, without any real anger in his tone before covering his ears again. It seemed that Allen was still unable to move himself away from Kanda's reflection, and so he too was forced to listen to this atrocity.

The 'rewinding' town was interesting, Kanda admitted grudgingly, walking through the translucent barrier that separated it from the rest of the world. From the outside the town appeared to be deserted, but having entered, he immediately stepped out onto a crowded street. Whilst Kanda was not overly fond of crowds, Allen seemed to delight in the mass of people, his reflection excitedly running around whenever Kanda caught sight of him in a window.

_Calm down already, you're giving me a headache,_ he grumbled silently. Allen paused and stared at him from the window of a jewellery store, and Kanda caught his breath when he saw the silver pendant that appeared to be resting at Allen's throat, his heart leaping into his mouth.

_'Sorry,' _Allen replied with an easy grin. Kanda just scoffed and turned away, almost running into the small girl in front of him. He scowled, his anger only growing when her smile widened rather than slipping from her face in terror. She was licking a lollipop and there was something unidentifiable in her dark blue eyes – something that deeply unsettled Kanda, though he would never admit it. Giving a little giggle, the girl skipped away happily, her short skirt swishing as she went. Kanda just frowned and walked away, yet Allen seemed to be transfixed, staring after the little girl as though she held the answers to all of his questions. Ignoring the heavy feeling that suddenly settled on his chest, Kanda snapped at Allen.

_What's the matter with you? _

_'N-Nothing,' _Allen replied, and it was the first time he had ever heard Allen sound truly uncertain about something. His expression was completely unreadable, and that only served to make Kanda all the more... what? Concerned? Worried? Confused! That was it. _'It's nothing. I just thought that she was...'_

_Thought that she was what? _Kanda asked, perhaps a little too quickly. Allen didn't seem to notice.

_'... Nothing. It's nothing.'_

* * *

Miranda – or clock-lady as Kanda secretly referred to her as – was something of an irritation. Ever since they had met her, she had been getting in their way and just generally being useless. Her only saving grace was the ability of her Innocence, and Kanda would've healed just fine without it, though he doubted the usagi and Lenalee would still be alive if not for her. And though Kanda did not always like them, Allen would've been sad if they had died.

In Rhode's dream world, Kanda had to admit that he was beginning to wonder if even he would get out of this alive. He still had to find that person from his memories, and he couldn't let Allen live alone in the mirrors again, but the powers of a Noah were beyond anything he had ever imagined.

The checked floors were already slick with blood, most of it his own and Lavi's, but at least Lenalee and the clock-lady had had the sense to take refuge beneath the cover of her Innocence rather than get in his way.

It seemed to him that the girl – Rhode – was just playing with them until she got bored and decided to throw away her new toys. Kanda would cheerfully kill himself before he allowed that to happen, but there was nothing reflective nearby, and he hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to Allen before he was dragged here. Scowling slightly, Kanda coiled muscles and prepared to launch himself at Rhode.

_"NO!"_

It was Allen's voice; that much was obvious to Kanda who had not spent a day in years without listening to him. However, from the reactions of Lavi and Rhode, he was not the only one that had heard him. All around, the world began to crack and dissolve, and Kanda could feel Allen's anger in his mind like a constant presence. Rhode's eyes widened before she began to giggle, and Allen only grew more furious – even Kanda was a little bit scared of what he may be capable of, though the boy had never shown any sort of physical strength before then. Well, how could he? He was trapped in mirrors.

"For you, my dear Allen, anything!" Rhode sang happily, and Kanda felt simultaneously icy cold and swelteringly hot. How did this girl know Allen? What was he to her? What was _she_ to _him_? The world fell apart before Kanda's very eyes, and the last thing he saw as everything faded to darkness was a shard of glass with Allen's terrified eyes staring out at him.

* * *

**Hello again my lovelies - as mentioned at the top, the awesomsauce original yaoi/shounen-ai tale has started. You can find it on Fictionpress under 'Between Heaven and Earth' by me (my yaoi penname over there is Amiss Authenticity, since my parents read some of the stuff on my het/gen account -_-') Please go and take a look and let me know whhat you think so far; it'll be updated tomorrow XD**

**Review, if you would be so kind. Peace out and shizzle!**


	6. Looking Glass II

**What the crap? I have more time on my hands than ever now (seriously. I'm bored out of my mind) but I've been writing less than ever. Where is the logic in that, I ask you? Anywhore, I've finally managed to get my arse in gear and type up another chapter of my little 'Through the Looking Glass' majiggy. There'll probably be another two chapters of it or so after this one, but I may add in another random oneshot to break it up a bit. You know, for shits and giggles.**

**Please forgive any mistakes. As always I am lacking a beta (since my unofficial beta does not like yaoi :( We will convert him one day.)**

**Well whatever. Here it is you guys who were patient enough to wait for it :)**

**(Oh, and I don't own D. Gray-man, are you happy now you sadists?)**

* * *

Blinking his eyes open slowly, Kanda grimaced; it felt as though his eyelids had been glued together. He held a hand to his throbbing temple and pushed himself into a position that vaguely resembled sitting, glancing around at his unfamiliar surroundings. The walls, bed and floor were all varying shades of white and cream; giving Kanda the impression of a hospital. The harsh smell of disinfectant only strengthened that theory. As always, his first thoughts jumped to Allen and he immediately began searching for something – anything – reflective.

The large windows provided enough of a reflective surface for him to make out Allen's sleeping form and Kanda let out an inaudible sigh of relief. The pale boy was slumped on one of the chairs near Kanda's bedside, his head resting near Kanda's reflection's leg.

It was strange, Kanda decided, glancing down at the bed – there was no hint that Allen even existed in the real world. No slight dip in the mattress, no creased sheets where his head lay. If it weren't for _that_ moment in Rhode's world, then Kanda might have started to think that maybe Allen really was just a figment of his imagination – not that he had much of one, as Allen frequently pointed out. Kanda flopped back down onto the bed, closing his eyes. This was a good chance to catch up on lost sleep.

As he hovered on the brink of unconsciousness, a distant part of him registered the door opening, and he opened his bleary eyes to glare at the blur of red and black.

"Hey Yuu," the blur greeted cheerfully, and Kanda managed a semi-coherent growl in his general direction. Lavi – the blur – laughed easily. "Gave us quite a scare there, Yuu – I don't think you've ever slept that long before!"

Kanda grumbled quietly, his eyes flicking to the window to make sure that the usagi's racket hadn't woken Allen – thankfully the boy was still sleeping soundly. Lavi followed his gaze curiously, his eye pausing when he realised that Kanda was staring at the window; or rather, the reflection. For once, he held his curious tongue, though he was simply bursting with questions. Turning his head back to the doorway, Kanda met Lavi's eye for a few seconds before something occurred to him.

"How long have I been asleep?" He asked softly, mindful of the boy still sleeping in the mirror. Lavi raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, and followed his lead.

"Almost a week," he whispered, and Kanda nodded, trying to contain his initial reaction. For him to have been unconscious for so long was unheard of – his healing abilities didn't usually allow it. Poor Allen must have been bored out of his mind; unless he had been sleeping as well, of course.

"What happened after Rhode let us go?" Kanda asked eventually, and the hesitant look that flashed through Lavi's eye did not go unnoticed by him.

"What do you remember?" Lavi asked in lieu of a real answer. A faint scowl crossed Kanda's face before he rearranged his features into a more neutral expression. That the usagi was a constant annoyance was nothing new, and he reminded himself that Allen would be upset if Lavi were to die. Though Kanda didn't usually let other people's feelings govern his actions, the thought of Allen hating him was close to unbearable. He took a deep breath, unsure of how much he could tell Lavi.

"Blacking out," he said flatly, waiting to see what Lavi's reply to that would be, well aware that he was walking on metaphorical eggshells.

Lavi bit his lip, perhaps the first outward sign of uncertainty that the Bookman apprentice had ever unconsciously shown. Whether or not he had actually managed to erase his emotions, Lavi wasn't one to let people know how he really felt about anything; Kanda could see it in his eye and was possibly the only one (apart from Allen who spent far more time staring at the red-haired boy than Kanda thought was strictly necessary) who could do so. Now, for the first time since they had met, the expression on Lavi's face was a perfect match to the look in his eye.

"Well, when Rhode let us go, we ended up back in Miranda's apartment – you were unconscious, obviously, and we got Miranda to deactivate her Innocence without too many problems; uh, I'm a bit sketchy on the details after that since I passed out and had to rely on Miranda's account, but from what I can tell she ran outside the city and found Toma. He called the Order and we were brought to this hospital."

Kanda nodded once to acknowledge that he had heard and understood. Allen slept on, oblivious.

"There was something else I wanted to ask you about," Lavi continued, his eye flicking to the window briefly before focusing on Kanda once again. He seemed to be waiting for some form of reply, but Kanda just stared.

"Who was that boy? The one that stopped you in Rhode's dream world?"

Kanda's heart stopped momentarily before picking up again at double the pace. He had known, of course, that Rhode had heard Allen, but whilst he had suspected that the others may have too, there was no way for him to be certain.

"At least, I assume it was a boy," Lavi continued after a brief pause, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The voice was high pitched, so it was a little hard to tell, especially without seeing him... her... it." His voice trailed off and he looked at Kanda expectantly, waiting for him to reveal all. Kanda gritted his teeth, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Bookmen were experts at gathering information, after all. It would probably be far simpler and less painful for them both if he just answered Lavi's questions.

"Him. Allen's a boy." Lavi's eye widened.

"Allen?" He asked, his voice a smidge too loud – in the mirror, Allen flinched at the sound of his name and opened his eyes slowly, yawning and stretching as he did so.

'_Kanda? You're awake now?' _Allen mumbled, and Kanda frowned slightly when he realised that Allen was now moving his mouth when he spoke like any normal person would. Was this some new development or just a habit that Allen had picked up?

_Yeah_, Kanda thought back. _Did you get enough sleep?_

'_Plenty, thank you. Is everyone alright? Did Rhode hurt anyone?' _Allen seemed to take the Noah girl very seriously – he looked to be genuinely frightened at the thought of her harming any of the Exorcists that Kanda had been with. He stood hastily, knocking over the reflective chair in the process; Kanda winced as it crashed to the ground and it took him a few seconds longer than it should have to realise that Allen had never managed to affect the mirror-world like that before.

"What was that?" Lavi asked slowly, suspiciously, cautiously and a thousand other words ending in 'ly' that Kanda didn't know. Allen seemed torn between overjoyed at this new-found ability and petrified by the fact that someone other than Kanda had witnessed it. At least, that was what Kanda assumed - it was a little hard to tell with Allen sometimes as his moods were rather unpredictable and difficult to read.

Kanda, on the other hand, was completely dumbstruck. Was Allen getting stronger? From past conversations, Kanda knew that Allen had not spent his entire existence trapped in mirrors, but the boy had never gone into any more detail than that. Could this be a sign that he might be able to leave the mirror world at some point?

Or (perish the thought) was this an indication that Allen was becoming more a part of the mirror world, therefore lessening the odds of him being able to escape?

'_That's new,'_ Allen mused quietly.

_So is the fact that you are actually talking now, _Kanda replied silently, keeping a careful eye on Lavi; not that it would do much good. Whether or not the redhead actually knew – or even suspected – anything, he would not let Kanda know by something as easily manipulated as facial expressions.

'_Oh, I suppose I am, aren't I?' _Allen replied, his face lighting up in surprise, and Kanda felt the urge to repeatedly hit his head against the nearest brick wall. Had Allen really not noticed?

"Kanda? What was that?" Lavi asked again, and Kanda jerked slightly at the sound of his name being called – when had he stopped watching Lavi and started staring at Allen again? This was beginning to spiral far out of his control, and he didn't like the feeling in the slightest. "I know that you know, Kanda. What was it?"

It seemed that he didn't have much of a choice anymore; he could try lying, he supposed, but it was likely that Lavi would see straight through any tale he could fabricate. Kanda shut his eyes and prayed that Allen would forgive him.

"That... was Allen."

The onslaught never came.

'_Well it's about time someone noticed something,' _Allen commented idly, picking the chair up and sitting down on it, flicking a lock of white hair behind his ear. It was amazing to Kanda that the boy was no longer self conscious about his scar – or his arm, for that matter, since he presently wore both sleeves rolled up to the elbows. _'How many years has it been now? I'm amazed that no one figured it out in the beginning, when you insisted on talking to me out loud.' _No longer worried about Lavi thinking he was insane, Kanda glared at the window.

"If I hold a mirror close enough to the edge of a cliff, do you think you'll be able to jump off it?" Kanda asked, though his voice lacked any real aggression.

'_Yes, but it won't do any good,' _Allen said, grinning wickedly, before his face dropped into a rather pitiful expression; the movement that was quite obviously practiced. Even so, Kanda felt something remarkably like a hand squeezing his heart at the sight, and for a moment he had to glance down to check that he wasn't really injured. _'Do you really want rid of me that badly, Kanda?'_

"No! That wasn't – I didn't mean – I – you..." Kanda trailed off when he realised that Allen was laughing at him so hard that he had toppled over, his face pressed into the bed as he giggled. "Fuck you, moyashi."

'_Oh Kanda, darling, I'd love you to,' _Allen managed, turning his face to one side so that Kanda could hear him clearly before dissolving into laughter again. It took all of the considerable willpower that Kanda possessed to fight down the growing flush he could feel on his neck and ears. To save face, Kanda scowled at Allen and threw himself down on the bed, smirking when Allen yelped and moved quickly away; he wasn't sure whether his reflective self could harm Allen or not, but it seemed that the white-haired boy didn't want to take any chances.

"You've been listening to the baka usagi too much," he muttered, forgetting for a moment that said baka usagi was standing in the doorway and staring at Kanda with a somewhat dumbstruck expression. "Whatever. I'm going back to sleep. Don't bother waking me up."

'_Gotcha,' _Allen laughed, covering his mouth with his red left hand to smother the sound of his amusement. _'G'night Kanda.'_

* * *

The next few weeks were perhaps some of the worst of Kanda's life, and that was certainly an accomplishment in his eyes.

For a start, when he had _finally_ been left alone with Allen (and no, times when one or both of them were sleeping did _not_ count) the boy had been unusually quiet, and had deflected his questions far more often than usual. His explanation of his behaviour and momentary burst into reality in Rhode's dream world was limited to a brief 'your guess is as good as mine'. When he'd asked how the Noah girl had known Allen's name, the pale lips had twisted into a mockery of a smile while his eyes grew distant. In the end, Allen didn't reply, and Kanda dropped the subject, not entirely sure what to make of his reaction.

On top of that, he'd had a near-constant barrage of questions directed at him by various people from within the order; from a friendly 'are you feeling any better' from Lenalee to a full-blown interrogation session from the scientists.

Collapsing onto his neatly-made bed, Kanda groaned and rubbed at his eyes slowly.

'_Long day?' _Allen asked sympathetically. Kanda didn't bother answering – Allen had been there through all of it, so he knew _exactly_ how long the day had managed to be.

'_Anything I can do?' _

"Not really, no," Kanda sighed. With a soft 'hmm' Allen fell silent, playing nervously with his hands. The action was unusual – Allen was normally quite calm and collected. The only times he really showed any emotion were when Kanda provoked him into an argument (or vice versa) or when something sent him into one of his brooding sulks, as Kanda had secretly named them. "Oi. What's the matter with you?"

Allen blinked, surprised at being dragged back into a conversation by Kanda of all people. '_Oh. It doesn't matter. Just something Lavi said earlier when you weren't listening.'_

Of course; Kanda should have known. Now that other people were aware of Allen's existence, they had been attempting to hold one-sided conversations with him; trying to persuade him to show himself to them (Kanda had neglected to mention that Allen didn't know how. So what if they all thought that Allen didn't like them? Kanda didn't have a problem with being the only one who could see him, so why should they?) and occasionally forcing Kanda to relay Allen's messages. This, of course, ruined the illusion that Allen disliked anyone that wasn't Kanda, but at least Allen seemed happy with the development.

"What did the idiot say this time?" Kanda sighed, more than used to seemingly useless pieces of information and 'friendly advice' from the red-haired boy. Allen shook his head slowly, and when he smiled at Kanda, the Exorcist thought he saw a tightness around Allen's eyes that hadn't been there before.

'_Nothing important,' _Allen replied breezily, and Kanda wondered if he was imagining the uneasy undertone. At the disbelieving look Kanda shot him, Allen laughed, the almost unnoticeable lines around his mouth disappearing in favour of slight dimples. '_Honestly, Kanda, I'm telling the truth. If I thought it was important then I would have told you already. It was just one of Lavi's daft jokes.'_

"Hm. Well you should know better than to listen to him by now." Kanda turned away at that, completely missing the way that Allen's face fell.

'_Yeah. You're right.'_

* * *

There was something wrong with Allen. That much was apparent to even Kanda, who was not at all wise in the ways of emotions. The boy had developed a habit of staring off into space (and occasionally at Kanda when he thought that the dark-haired boy wasn't paying attention) sometimes for hours on end. This on its own may not have been particularly strange, but Allen had also developed a rather irritating habit of cutting short his conversations with Kanda and trying to avoid speaking to him as much as he possibly could.

At first Kanda hadn't thought much of it – missions were pouring in faster than ever, and he spent most of his time exhausted from the near-constant skirmishes. He assumed that Allen was just trying to give him a bit of space and time to relax. However, it had continued long after Kanda had grown used to the amount of work he was being made to do, and to be frank, he was sick of it.

Allen was avoiding him. There was no two ways about it.

Avoiding him as well as someone who was doomed to constantly follow his reflection no matter the circumstances could, at least. So far he seemed to be doing a damned good job of it.

Kanda's chest was aching more and more these days – directly below the black mark of his curse. Whenever anyone asked, that was what he put it down to, but he couldn't lie to himself. His pride wouldn't allow it. He was _hurt_ by the way Allen made a point of turning away whenever their eyes happened to meet in the mirror, and he was sure as Hell hurt by the way Allen frequently refused to speak to him. He didn't know what he'd done wrong (because, according to Allen's logic, _everything _was his fault. If the world were to end the next day, it'd be his fault somehow).

Enough was enough. Kanda was sick of it. He'd find out what was wrong with Allen if it killed him.

* * *

**Review please?**

**P.S. Has anyone else been watching No. 6? It looks like Yullen but with more fanservice :D**


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